Lincoln Powers

Lincoln Powers was born on the very ground the lodge sits on today. In 1947, his grandparents — Charlie and Mary Powers — bought this stretch of the Stillwater Valley. Charlie, a Burlington Northern railroad engineer for decades, sold his interest in the family homestead near Red Lodge to his four brothers to make it happen. Lincoln's father, Bernard, ran cattle on the property until his death in 1976. Lincoln grew up five miles down the road in the little community of Absarokee, with this water and these mountains as his backyard.

Then he left to see what the rest of the world was building. A Navy veteran with a 35-year software-development career, Lincoln got in early — the glory days at Microsoft in the '90s, pocket protector and a mullet, hacking away at the dawn of the digital age. He went on to build a successful healthcare software company, which he eventually sold. Retire to a life of leisure? No way — he shifted gears into consulting, offering his sage advice to anyone with a budget.

But a different dream had been simmering the whole time. Fueled by a love for the outdoors and a knack for reeling people in, Lincoln came home — to the family land — and built Montana Fly Fishing Lodge from the ground up, on the same ground where his grandfather once watched the trains roll by and his father ran cattle. Three decades of software-builder discipline, pointed at the place that made him.

At the lodge, Lincoln brings together the magic of the land, a commitment to conservation, and a deep love for Absarokee, Montana — four generations and counting. Every guest leaves with a great catch, a heart full of stories, and — if they're lucky — a tall tale or two from Lincoln himself. If you're in the mood for a fish story or a trip down memory lane with a software-development legend turned outdoor enthusiast, you're in the right place.